Enhanced privacy for provision of computer vision

ABSTRACT

Methods, apparatuses and storage medium associated with providing enhanced privacy during usage of computer vision are disclosed. In embodiments, an apparatus may include one or more privacy indicators to indicate one or more privacy conditions of the apparatus in association with provision of computer vision on the apparatus. The apparatus may further include a privacy engine coupled with the one or more privacy indicators, and configured to pre-process images from an image source of the apparatus associated with the provision of computer vision to the apparatus, to increase privacy for a user of the apparatus, and to control the one or more privacy indicators. In embodiments, the apparatus may include means for blanking out one or more pixels with depth values identified as greater than a threshold. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/518,962, entitled ENHANCED PRIVACY FOR PROVISIONOF COMPUTER VISION, filed Oct. 20, 2014, which is a divisionalapplication of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/624,703, entitledENHANCED PRIVACY FOR PROVISION OF COMPUTER VISION, filed Sep. 21, 2012,now U.S. Pat. No. 8,914,894, and claims priority to the Ser. Nos.14/518,962 and 13/624,703 applications. The Specifications of Ser. Nos.14/518,962 and 13/624,703 are hereby fully incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the technical field of data processing, morespecifically to methods, apparatuses and storage medium associated withenhanced privacy for provision of computer vision.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The background description provided herein is for the purpose ofgenerally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwiseindicated herein, the materials described in this section are not priorart to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be priorart by inclusion in this section.

With advances in integrated circuit, computing and related technologies,computer vision, e.g., gesture recognition, is increasingly beingemployed to enhance user computing experience. Computer vision oftenincludes the capturing and processing of images. Gesture recognitionoften includes the capturing and processing of images of the user,and/or his/her surroundings. Malicious software can connect to theimaging devices, such as cameras, used to capture the images, orintercept image outputs of the imaging devices, and make unauthorizedtransmission of the images. Thus, user privacy may be violated orcompromised. Increasingly, users are concerned.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described by way ofexemplary embodiments, but not limitations, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which like references denote similar elements,and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an overview of a computing device with enhancedprivacy for usage of computer vision;

FIG. 2 illustrates the privacy engine of FIG. 1 in further detail;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for providing enhanced privacy for provisionof computer vision;

FIG. 4 illustrates an example computing device configured to provideenhanced privacy for provision of computer vision; and

FIG. 5 illustrates an example non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium having instructions configured to practice all or selectedaspects of the method of FIG. 3; all arranged in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods, apparatuses and storage medium associated with providingenhanced privacy for provision of computer vision are disclosed. Inembodiments, an apparatus may include one or more privacy indicators toindicate one or more privacy conditions of the apparatus in associationwith provision of computer vision. The apparatus may further include aprivacy engine coupled with the one or more privacy indicators, andconfigured to pre-process images from an image source of the apparatusassociated with provision of computer vision to the apparatus, toincrease privacy for a user of the apparatus, and to control the one ormore privacy indicators.

In embodiments, an apparatus may include means for receiving an imagefrom an image source associated with provision of computer vision, theimage having a plurality of pixels, calculating depth values for thepixels, and outputting the depth values as a depth value map of theimage. The apparatus may further include means for receiving the depthvalue map, processing the depth value map to identify depth values thatare greater than a threshold, and on determination that one or moredepth values are greater that the threshold, outputting in response oneor more disable indicators for use to blank out one or more pixelscorresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater thanthe threshold, to provide enhanced privacy for the provision of computervision.

In embodiments, the apparatus may further include means for receivingthe image and the one or more disable indicators, and applying the oneor more disable indicators to the image to blank out the pixels withdepth values greater than the threshold, to provide enhanced privacy forprovision of computer vision. In embodiments, the apparatus may furtherinclude means for receiving the depth value map and the one or moredisable indicators, and applying the one or more disable indicators tothe depth value map to blank out the depth values that are greater thanthe threshold.

Various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described usingterms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey thesubstance of their work to others skilled in the art. However, it willbe apparent to those skilled in the art that alternate embodiments maybe practiced with only some of the described aspects. For purposes ofexplanation, specific numbers, materials, and configurations are setforth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrativeembodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art thatalternate embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. Inother instances, well-known features are omitted or simplified in ordernot to obscure the illustrative embodiments.

Various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations, inturn, in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the illustrativeembodiments; however, the order of description should not be construedas to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent. Inparticular, these operations need not be performed in the order ofpresentation. Further, descriptions of operations as separate operationsshould not be construed as requiring that the operations be necessarilyperformed independently and/or by separate entities. Descriptions ofentities and/or modules as separate modules should likewise not beconstrued as requiring that the modules be separate and/or performseparate operations. In various embodiments, illustrated and/ordescribed operations, entities, data, and/or modules may be merged,broken into further sub-parts, and/or omitted.

The phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” is used repeatedly.The phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment; however, itmay. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous,unless the context dictates otherwise. The phrase “A/B” means “A or B”.The phrase “A and/or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B)”. The phrase “atleast one of A, B and C” means “(A), (B), (C), (A and B), (A and C), (Band C) or (A, B and C)”.

FIG. 1 illustrates a computing device with enhanced privacy forprovision of computer vision, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure. As illustrated, in embodiments, computing device 50may include imaging device 54 and computer vision engine 56 configuredto cooperate with each other to provide computer vision to computingdevice 50, e.g., to applications 66 of computing device 50. Inembodiments, imaging device 54 and computer vision engine 56 may beconfigured to provide computer vision that includes, but are not limitedto, recognition of gestures made by users 52. Such gestures may, forexample, be interpreted by applications 66 as corresponding usercommands for applications 66. Resultantly, images captured by imagingdevice 54 for computer vision engine 56 may often include full orpartial image of the user and/or the user's surroundings.

In embodiments, computing device 50 may further include privacy engine58 configured to provide enhanced privacy to user 52 when computervision engine 56 is in use by computing device 50. As illustrated,privacy engine 58 may be disposed in between imaging device 54 andcomputer vision engine 56, and configured to pre-process imagesoutputted by imaging device 54, before the images are provided tocomputer vision engine 56, to effectuate the desired increase privacy.In embodiments, as will be described in more detail below, privacyengine 58 may be configured to blank out pixels in the images with depthvalue in excess of a threshold, e.g., a threshold denoting a limit of anear field of the image where analysis, e.g., gesture recognition, isperformed.

In embodiments, computing device 50 may further include one or moreprivacy indicators 60 to indicate one or more privacy conditions ofcomputing device 50 in association with provision of computer vision oncomputing device 50. One or more privacy indicators 60 may include avisual indicator, e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), to visuallyindicate to user 52 that computer vision is in use, that is, images arebeing taken of users 52 and analyzed. One or more privacy indicators 60may further include another visual indicator, e.g., another LED, tovisually indicate to user 52 that no object is detected in the imagesbeing taken and analyzed. As shown, one or more privacy indicators 60may be coupled with, and controlled by privacy engine 58.

In embodiments, computing device 50 may include processor and memory 64configured to execute applications 66. While for ease of understanding,computer vision engine 56, privacy engine 58 and processor and memory 64are illustrated as separate blocks, in embodiments, privacy engine 58and/or computer vision engine 56 may share common processor and/ormemory resources with processor and memory 64 hosting applications 66,or combined.

In embodiments, computing device 50 may further include input mechanism62 configured to facilitate user 52 to provide various user inputs tocomputer vision engine 56, privacy engine 58 and/or applications 66. Inparticular, input mechanism 62 may be configured to facilitate user 52to configure the threshold to be used by privacy engine 58.

Imaging device 54, computer vision engine 56, input mechanism 62 andprocessor and memory 64 are intended to represent a broad range of theseelements known in the art. For example, imaging devices 54 may be anyone of a number of cameras known in the art. Computer vision engine 56may include any frame grabber or video input device (or USB cameraadapter) as known in the art. Input mechanism 62 may include hard orsoft keys. Processor and memory 64 may include single or multi-coreprocessors, volatile or non-volatile memory, and so forth. Accordingly,computing device 50, except for privacy engine 58 and privacy indicators60, may be any one of a number of computing devices known in the artincluding, but are not limited to, personal digital assistants (PDA),media players, smartphones, ultrabooks, computing tablets, laptopcomputers, desktop computers, set-top boxes, game consoles, smart TVs,and so forth.

FIG. 2 illustrates the privacy engine of FIG. 1 in further detail, inaccordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated,for the embodiments, privacy engine 58 may include depth (Z) valuescalculation block 122, Z values analysis block 124, storage 126, andfilter 128 coupled with each other as shown. Elements 122-128 may beconfigured to cooperate with each other to selectively blank out pixelsof an image from an image source associated with provision of computervision (e.g., imaging device 54 of FIG. 1) to provide enhanced privacyduring usage of computer vision. For example, the elements 122-128 maycooperate to blank out pixels of an image from a camera associated withgesture recognition, that are considered to be beyond a near field inthe image, analyzed for gesture recognition. Accordingly, enhancedprivacy may be provided for the gesture recognition operations, even ifthe image is disseminated without authorization.

In embodiments, Z values calculation block 122 may be configured toreceive an image 102 from imaging device 54. Image 102 may include anumber of pixels with corresponding pixel values. Further, Z valuescalculation block 122 may be configured to process the received image,and output, in response, Z values 106 for the pixels.

In embodiments, Z values analysis block 124 may be configured to receiveZ values 106 from Z values calculation block 122, and a threshold 108from storage 126, and output, in response, disable bits 110, e.g., inthe form of disable signals, for all Z values 106 that are in excess ofthreshold 108. Disable bits 110 may be used to blank out thecorresponding pixels in image 102 with Z values greater than thethreshold.

In embodiments, storage 126 may be any one of a number of magnetic,optical or solid state storage, e.g., static or dynamic random memory.Threshold 108 may be associated with defining the limit of the nearfield of image 102 for an analysis, e.g., gesture recognition. Forexample, such threshold 108 may be set to a value in the range of 0 to40 cm (from imaging device 54).

In embodiments, filter 128 may be configured to receive image 102 anddisable bits 110, and apply the disable bits 110 to the correspondingpixels to blank out the pixels of image 102 with Z values 106 greaterthan threshold 108, before making image 102 available, e.g., for gesturerecognition analysis. In other words, image 102 is only made availableto computer vision engine 56 or other usage, in the form of partiallyblocked image 102′.

In embodiments, Z values 106 may form a Z map 104 that may be availablefor other usage. For these embodiments, filter 128 may be furtherconfigured to also receive Z map 104, and apply the disable bits 110 toblank out the Z values 106 that are greater than threshold 108, beforemaking Z map 104 available for other usage. In other words, Z map 104 ismade available only in the form of partially blocked Z map 104′.

In embodiments where the computing device hosting privacy engine 58include visual indicators, e.g., LED, to provide one or more visualindications about one or more privacy conditions, driver 130 may beconfigured to enable one of the visual indicators to indicate thatimages are being taken and processed to provide computer vision, such asgesture recognition. In embodiments, driver 130 may be furtherconfigured to enable another visual indicator to indicate that privacyengine 58 is in operation to provide enhanced security. In particular,this visual indicator may be lit to a particular color, e.g., green, toindicate that the image is empty (e.g., no disable bits 110 are beingoutputted by Z value analysis block 124 and no objects in the nearfield). Thus, through the visual indicators, a user may be appraised ofthe privacy condition.

In embodiments, except for storage 126, privacy engine 58, in general,may otherwise be implemented in either hardware or software, orcombination thereof. In various implementations, depth (Z) valuescalculation block 122 and Z values analysis block 124 may implemented,e.g., using programmable array logics (PAL). Filter 128 may include innumber of AND gates 132 configured to perform the blanking operations.Driver 130 may be a one on circuit. In various software implementations,depth (Z) values calculation block 122, Z values analysis block 124,filter 128, and driver 130 may be a number of programming instructions,such as C, configured to cause a computing device to perform thedescribed operations, in response to execution by one or more processorsof the computing device.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process for providing enhanced privacy to a userwhile computer vision is used, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure. As shown, in embodiments, process 300 may start atblock 302. At block 302, a digital image may be received from an imagesource associated with provision of computer vision. From block 302,process 300 may proceed to block 304. At block 304, a number of depth(Z) values for a number of corresponding pixels of the image may bedigitally calculated.

From block 304, process 300 may proceed to block 306. At block 306,whether the depth values are greater than a threshold may be digitallydetermined. From block 306, process 300 may proceed to block 308. Atblock 308, disabling indicators, e.g., signals and/or bits, may bedigitally generated for pixels with depth values determined to be inexcess of the threshold.

From block 308, process 300 may proceed to block 310. At block 310, thedisabling indicators may be applied to blank out the pixels of the imagewith depth values in excess of the threshold. Additionally, oralternatively, the disabling indicators may be applied to a depth valuemap formed with the depth values to blank out depth values in excess ofthe threshold.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example computing device configured to enhanceprivacy for provision of computer vision, in accordance with variousembodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, computing device 400may include a number of processors or processor cores 402,co-processor(s) or auxiliary processing units 414, and system memory404. In embodiments, co-processor(s) or auxiliary processing units 414may include the earlier described computer vision engine 56 and/orprivacy engine 58. For the purpose of this application, including theclaims, the terms “processor” and “processor cores” may be consideredsynonymous, unless the context clearly requires otherwise. Additionally,computing device 400 may include mass storage devices 406 (such asdiskette, hard drive, compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) and soforth), input/output devices 408 (such as camera, visual indicators(such as LED), display, keyboard, cursor control and so forth), andcommunication interfaces 410 (such as network interface cards, modemsand so forth). The elements may be coupled to each other via system bus412, which may represent one or more buses. In the case of multiplebuses, they may be bridged by one or more bus bridges (not shown).

System memory 404 and mass storage devices 406 may respectively includetemporal or persistent copies of computing logic 416 implementingvarious applications 66, and aspects of privacy engine 58 and/orcomputer vision 56 that are implemented in software. Computing logic 416may be implemented in assembler instructions supported by processor(s)of 402 and/or 414, or high-level languages, such as, C, that can becompiled into such supported instructions.

Except for auxiliary processing units 414 and/or computing logic 416implementing privacy engine 58, the constitution of these elements402-414 are known, and accordingly will not be further described.

The programming instructions implementing computing logic 416 may beinstalled on computing device 400 in the factory, or in the field,through, for example, a distribution medium (not shown), such as acompact disc (CD), or through communication interface 410 (from adistribution server (not shown)). That is, one or more distributionmedia having an implementation of privacy engine 58 may be employed tofacilitate its distribution.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium having instructions configured to practice all or selectedaspects of the process of FIG. 3; in accordance with various embodimentsof the present disclosure. As illustrated, non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium 502 may include a number of programminginstructions 504. Programming instructions 504 may be configured toenable a device, e.g., computing device 400, in response to execution ofthe programming instructions, to perform various operations of thevarious flows of FIG. 3. In alternate embodiments, programminginstructions 504 may be disposed on multiple non-transitorycomputer-readable storage media 502 instead.

Thus, embodiments disclosed include, but are not limited to a computingapparatus having one or more privacy indicators to visually indicate oneor more privacy conditions of the computing apparatus in associationwith employment of computer vision by the computing apparatus; and aprivacy engine coupled with the one or more privacy indicators, andconfigured to pre-process images from an image source of the computingapparatus associated with provision of computer vision to the computingapparatus, to increase privacy for a user of the computing apparatus inassociation with the employment of computer vision by the computingapparatus, and to control the one or more privacy indicators.

In embodiments, the privacy engine may include a depth value calculationblock to receive the image from the image source, the image having aplurality of pixels, calculate depth values for the pixels, and outputthe depth values as a depth value map of the image; and a depth valueanalysis block coupled with the depth value calculation block to receivethe depth value map, process the depth value map to identify depthvalues that are greater than a threshold, and on determination that oneor more depth values are greater that the threshold, output in responseone or more disable signals for use to blank out one or more pixelscorresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater thanthe threshold, to effectuate the increase in privacy.

In embodiments, the apparatus may further include a filter coupled withthe depth value analysis block to receive the one or more disablesignals, and apply the one or more disable signals to the image to blankout the pixels with depth values greater than the threshold, wherein thefilter is to further receive the image. The depth values may form adepth value map, and the apparatus may further include a filter coupledwith the depth value analysis block to receive the one or more disablesignals, and apply the one or more disable signals to the depth valuemap to blank out the depth values that are greater than the threshold.The filter may be further coupled with the depth value calculation blockto receive the depth value map.

In embodiments, the apparatus may further include the image source. Theimage source may include one or more cameras. In embodiments, the one ormore privacy indicators may include a visual indicator, and the privacyengine may be configured to enable the visual indicator when images arebeing captured and used for provision of computer vision. The one ormore privacy indicators may include a visual indicator, and the privacyengine may be configured to enable the visual indicator when imagesbeing captured and used for provision of computer vision are blank. Theprivacy engine may include a one shot circuit coupled with the visualindicator to drive the visual indicator.

In embodiments, the privacy engine may further include a storage mediumcoupled with the depth value analysis block to store the threshold andprovide the threshold to the depth value analysis block, and theapparatus may further include a configuration mechanism coupled with thestorage medium to facilitate configuration of the threshold. Theapparatus may be a selected one of a smartphone, a computing tablet, anultrabook, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a set-top box, a smartTV or a game console.

In embodiments, a method may include calculating, digitally, a pluralityof depth values for a plurality of corresponding pixels of an image froman image source associated with providing computer vision on a computingdevice; and determining, digitally, whether the depth values are greaterthan a threshold. The method may further include, on determination thatone or more depth values are greater that the threshold, outputting inresponse one or more disable indicators for use to blank out one or morepixels corresponding to the one or more depth values identified asgreater than the threshold, to provide enhanced privacy for the computervision.

In embodiments, the method may further include applying, digitally, theone or more disable indicators to the image to blank out the one or morecorresponding pixels. The depth values may form a depth value map, andthe disable indicators may include disable bits, and the method mayfurther include applying, digitally, the one or more disable bits to thedepth value map to blank out the one or more depth values that aregreater than the threshold.

In embodiments, the method may further include enabling a visualindicator, electronically, when no disable indicator is being outputtedas a result of no depth value having been identified as greater than thethreshold, and no object is detected among pixels with depth values thatdo not exceed the threshold. The method may further include storing,digitally, the threshold and providing the threshold for saiddetermining, and/or accepting, digitally, a setting for the threshold.

In embodiments, at least one non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium may include a plurality of instructions. The instructions, inresponse to execution of the instructions by a computing apparatus, mayenable the computing apparatus to calculate a plurality of depth valuesfor a plurality of corresponding pixels of an image from an image sourceassociated with provision of computer vision on the computing apparatus,determine whether the depth values are greater than a threshold, and ondetermination that one or more depth values are greater that thethreshold, output in response one or more disable indicators for use toblank out one or more pixels corresponding to the one or more depthvalues identified as greater than the threshold, to provide enhancedprivacy for the computer vision.

In embodiments, the instructions, in response to execution of theinstructions by the computing apparatus, may further enable thecomputing apparatus to apply the one or more disable indicators to theimage to blank out the one or more corresponding pixels. The depthvalues may form a depth value map, and the disable indicators mayinclude disable bits. The instructions, in response to execution of theinstructions by the computing apparatus, may further enable thecomputing apparatus to apply the one or more disable bits to the depthvalue map to blank out the one or more depth values that are greaterthan the threshold.

In embodiments, the instructions, in response to execution of theinstructions by the computing apparatus, may further enable thecomputing apparatus to enable a visual indicator, when no disableindicator is being outputted as a result of no depth value having beenidentified as greater than the threshold, and no object is detectedamong pixels with depth values that are less than the threshold. Theinstructions, in response to execution of the instructions by thecomputing apparatus, may further enable the computing apparatus to storethe threshold and provide the threshold for said determine. Theinstructions, in response to execution of the instructions by thecomputing apparatus, may further enable the computing apparatus toaccept a setting for the threshold.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the artthat a wide variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations maybe substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described, withoutdeparting from the scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations ofthe embodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is manifestly intendedthat the embodiments of the present disclosure be limited only by theclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for computing, comprising: one ormore hardware processors; a privacy engine to be operated by the one ormore hardware processors to preprocess images from an image sourceassociated with the computer apparatus for user gesture recognition bythe computer apparatus, to increase privacy for a user of the computerapparatus in association with employment of computer vision by thecomputer apparatus for user gesture recognition, wherein the privacyengine is to modify the images, zero out pixels of the images beyond anear field in the images analyzed for user gesture recognition to blankout those pixels of the images not analyzed for user gesturerecognition; and a computer vision engine to be operated by the one ormore hardware processors to recognize user gestures, wherein thecomputer vision engine is to analyze the near field in the modifiedimages for user gestures.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprivacy engine comprises: a depth value calculation block to receive theimages from the image source, each image having a plurality of pixels,calculate depth values for the pixels of each image, and output thedepth values of each image as a depth value map for the image; and adepth value analysis block coupled with the depth value calculationblock to receive the depth value maps, process each depth value map toidentify depth values that are greater than a threshold of the nearfield, and on determination that one or more depth values are greaterthat the threshold, output in response one or more disable signals foruse to zero out one or more pixels of the corresponding image,corresponding to the one or more depth values identified as greater thanthe threshold, to blank out the one or more pixels.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 2, further comprising a filter coupled with the depth valueanalysis block to receive the one or more disable signals, and apply theone or more disable signals to an image to zero out the pixels of theimage with depth values greater than the threshold to blank out thosepixels, wherein the filter is to further receive the image.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 2, wherein the depth values form a depth value map,and the apparatus further comprises a filter coupled with the depthvalue analysis block to receive the one or more disable signals, andapply the one or more disable signals to the depth value map of an imageto zero out the depth values that are greater than the threshold,wherein the filter is further coupled with the depth value calculationblock to receive the depth value map of the image.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 1, further comprising the image source, wherein the image sourceincludes one or more cameras.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising: one or more physical privacy indicators to visually indicateone or more privacy conditions of the computer apparatus in associationwith employment of computer vision by the computer apparatus for usergesture recognition.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising aone shot circuit coupled with a visual indicator to drive the visualindicator.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the privacy enginefurther comprises a storage medium coupled with the depth value analysisblock to store the threshold and provide the threshold to the depthvalue analysis block, and the apparatus further comprises aconfiguration mechanism coupled with the storage medium to facilitateconfiguration of the threshold.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein theapparatus is a selected one of a smartphone, a computer tablet, anultrabook, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a set-top box, a smartTV or a game console.
 10. A method for computing, comprising:preprocessing, by a computing device, a plurality of images from animage source associated with the computing device for user gesturerecognition by the computing device, to increase privacy for a user ofthe computing device in association with employment of computer visionby the computing device for user gesture recognition, whereinpreprocessing comprises modifying the images, zeroing out pixels of theimages beyond a near field in the images analyzed for user gesturerecognition to blank out those pixels; and analyzing, by the computingdevice, the modified images to recognize user gestures, whereinanalyzing comprises analyzing the near field in the modified images foruser gestures.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein preprocessingcomprises: calculating a plurality of depth values for a plurality ofpixels of the images; determining whether the depth values are greaterthan a threshold of the near field; and on determination that one ormore depth values of an image are greater that the threshold, outputtingin response one or more disable indicators for use to zero out one ormore pixels corresponding to the one or more depth values identified asgreater than the threshold, to blank out the one or more pixels.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein preprocessing further comprises applying theone or more disable indicators to the image to zero out the one or morecorresponding pixels to blank out the one or more corresponding pixels.13. The method of claim 12, wherein the depth values form a depth valuemap, and the disable indicators comprise disable bits, and whereinpreprocessing further comprises applying the disable bits to the depthvalue map to zero out the one or more depth values that are greater thanthe threshold to blank out the one or more depth values.
 14. The methodof claim 11, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, andpreprocessing further comprises applying the one or more disableindicators to an image map to zero out the one or more depth values thatare greater than the threshold.
 15. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising enabling, by the computing device, a visual indicator when nodisable indicator is being outputted as a result of no depth valuehaving been identified as greater than the threshold, and no object isdetected among pixels with depth values that do not exceed thethreshold.
 16. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing, bythe computing device, the threshold of the near field, and providing thethreshold for said determining.
 17. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising accepting, by the computing device, a setting for thethreshold of the near field.
 18. At least one non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions,wherein the instructions, in response to execution of the instructionsby a computer apparatus, cause the computer apparatus to: preprocess aplurality of images from an image source associated with the computerapparatus for user gesture recognition by the computer apparatus, toincrease privacy for a user of the computer apparatus in associationwith employment of computer vision by the computer apparatus for usergesture recognition, wherein preprocessing comprises modification of theimages, zero out pixels of the images beyond a near field in the imagesanalyzed for user gesture recognition to blank out those pixels; andanalyze the modified images to recognize user gestures, wherein analyzecomprises analyze the near field in the modified images for usergestures.
 19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, whereinto preprocess comprises to calculate a plurality of depth values for aplurality of corresponding pixels of the images, determine whether thedepth values of an image are greater than a threshold of a near fieldanalyzed for user gestures, and on determination that one or more depthvalues of the image are greater that the threshold, output in responseone or more disable indicators for use to zero out one or more pixels ofthe image corresponding to the one or more depth values identified asgreater than the threshold, to blank out the one or more pixels.
 20. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein to preprocessfurther comprises to apply the one or more disable indicators to theimage to zero out the one or more corresponding pixels to blank out theone or more pixels.
 21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim19, wherein the depth values form a depth value map, and the disableindicators comprise disable bits, and wherein to preprocess furthercomprises to apply the disable bits to the depth value map to zero outthe one or more depth values that are greater than the threshold. 22.The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the depthvalues form a depth value map, and wherein to preprocess furthercomprises to apply the one or more disable indicators to the depth valuemap to blank out the one or more depth values that are greater than thethreshold.
 23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, whereinthe computer apparatus is further caused to enable a visual indicator,when no disable indicator is being outputted as a result of no depthvalue having been identified as greater than the threshold, and noobject is detected among pixels with depth values that are less than thethreshold.
 24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, whereinthe computer apparatus is further caused to store the threshold of thenear field and provide the threshold for said determine.
 25. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the computerapparatus is further caused to accept a setting for the threshold.